plate no. 6348
Mt. Unzen
Unichi Hiratsuka, 1936
suitable for beginners
Recreating this painting will help students practice simplified shapes and color blocking, as well as understanding how to represent depth with minimal detail. It's also a good exercise in color harmony and creating a stylized landscape.
technical profile
palette complexity
2
brushwork visibility
1
value contrast
3
compositional simplicity
4
study guide
est. 6 hrsapproach — 7 steps
- step 01
Sketch the basic shapes of the mountains, water, and boat.
- step 02
Divide the mountain range into distinct areas for different colors.
- step 03
Block in the sky with a light yellow or cream color.
- step 04
Paint the water with horizontal strokes, alternating between blue and green hues.
- step 05
Fill in the mountain areas with the primary colors, using small, rectangular strokes to create texture.
- step 06
Add the boat silhouette.
- step 07
Refine the edges and add any final details.
color palette
primary · light yellow · blue · red · brown
secondary · green · cream
Mix blue and green to achieve the water color. Use white to lighten the sky and water.
techniques
- ·color blocking
- ·simplified shapes
- ·horizontal strokes
- ·flat washes
common pitfalls
- →Overcomplicating the shapes
- →Using too many colors
- →Not maintaining the flat, graphic style
- →Ignoring the horizontal flow of the water
materials
surface · watercolor paper 140lb
required
- ·watercolor paper
- ·watercolor paints
- ·round brush
- ·flat brush
- ·pencil
- ·eraser
optional
- ·ruler
- ·masking tape
Use a limited palette of colors to maintain the simplicity of the original artwork.
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